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Small virtual machines: A survey

Author:

Lloyd I. DickmanAuthors Info & Claims

Proceedings of the workshop on virtual computer systems

Pages 191 - 202

https://doi.org/10.1145/800122.803958

Published: 26 March 1973 Publication History

Abstract

It has been demonstrated that virtual machines can be successfully implemented on large computer systems. They can also be implemented on small computer systems (“mini-computers”). The paper will show this, and at the same time discuss the various architectural features by which virtual machine implementation is achieved.

Examining features which make machines “small”, we find architectural limitations. These machines are usually byte or word addressable where the virtual address space bound is the word size. They usually rely on indexing and indirect addressing. Most instructions are one word long. The instruction repetoire is not particularly rich. There is a simple I/O structure with facilities for hardware interrupts and direct memory access (block I/O transfers).

In summary, small virtual machines are effective for software development of systems having one or more of the following characteristics:

• shared facilities

• no common operating system

• user I/O programming

•communications control

•process control

•fictitious I/O devices

References

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Data General Corporation, "How to Use the Nova Computers", Publication #NM-5, Southboro, Mass., 1971.

[2]

Data General Corporation, "Technical Reference - 8021 Memory Management and Protection Unit," Publication #014-000019-00, Southboro, Mass., 1973.

[3]

Digital Equipment Corporation, "PDP 8/e and PDP 8/m Small Computer Handbook," Publication #082X-01071-A1589 D-09-100, Maynard, Mass., 1972.

[4]

Digital Equipment Corporation, "PDP 11/45 Processor Handbook," Publication #112-01071-1876 D-09-15, Maynard, Mass., 1971.

[5]

Gagliardi, U.O. and Goldberg, R.P., "Virtualizable Architectures", Proceedings of the 1972 ACM International Computing Symposium, Venice, Italy, April, 1972, pp. 527-538.

[6]

Galley, S.W. "PDP-10 Virtual Machines", ACM Workshop on Virtual Computer Systems, 1973, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

Digital Library

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General Automation, Inc., "Reference Manual for SPC-16 Automation Computers", Publication #88A00243A-B, Anaheim, California.

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Goldberg, R. P., "Architectural Principles for Virtual Computer Systems", Report #24-72, Center for Research in Computing Technology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

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Hewlett-Packard Company, "HP 3000 Computer System Reference Manual", Publication #03000-90019, Cupertino, California, 1972.

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Honeywell Information Systems, "Honeywell System 700 Programmers' Reference Manual", Document #70130072575A, Waltham, Mass., 1972.

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IBM Corporation, "Program Information Department," Control Program-67/Cambridge Monitor System, Type III Release #360 D-05.2. 005, Hawthorne, New York.

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Interdata, Inc., 1971, "Model 70 User's Manual", Publication #29-261, Oceanport, New Jersey, 1971.

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Lauer, H.C. and Snow, C.R., "Is Supervisor-state Necessary", International Computing Symposium Proceedings, Venice, Italy, April 1972, pp. 293-301.

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Systems Engineering Laboratories, "Systems 72 Computer Reference Manual," Publication #301-720005-001, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, 1972.

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Varian Data Machines, "Varian 73 System Handbook," Publication #98-A-9906-010, Irvine, California, 1972.

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Xerox Data Systems, "Sigma 2 Computer Reference Manual," Publication #90-09-64D, El Segundo, California, 1968.

Cited By

Randal A(2020)The Ideal Versus the RealACM Computing Surveys10.1145/336519953:1(1-31)Online publication date: 6-Feb-2020
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3365199
Varshney SRohit SSunidhi Jamkhandi AThanya DParathodiyil M(2019)Cyber-Physical Control and Virtual InstrumentationCyber-physical Systems and Digital Twins10.1007/978-3-030-23162-0_2(19-27)Online publication date: 11-Jul-2019
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23162-0_2
Santini SRoemer KCouderc PMarrón PMinder DVoigt TVitaletti A(2010)System Architectures and Programming ModelsCooperating Embedded Systems and Wireless Sensor Networks10.1002/9780470610817.ch5(347-404)Online publication date: 2-Feb-2010
https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470610817.ch5
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

Small virtual machines: A survey
1. General and reference
  1. Cross-computing tools and techniques
    1. Performance
2. Software and its engineering
  1. Software organization and properties
    1. Contextual software domains
      1. Operating systems
        Memory management
        Virtual memory
        Process management
        Multiprocessing / multiprogramming / multitasking
    2. Extra-functional properties
      1. Software performance

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cover image ACM Conferences

Proceedings of the workshop on virtual computer systems

March 1973

253 pages

ISBN:9781450374279

DOI:10.1145/800122

Copyright © 1973 ACM.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 26 March 1973

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Cited By

Randal A(2020)The Ideal Versus the RealACM Computing Surveys10.1145/336519953:1(1-31)Online publication date: 6-Feb-2020
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3365199
Varshney SRohit SSunidhi Jamkhandi AThanya DParathodiyil M(2019)Cyber-Physical Control and Virtual InstrumentationCyber-physical Systems and Digital Twins10.1007/978-3-030-23162-0_2(19-27)Online publication date: 11-Jul-2019
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23162-0_2
Santini SRoemer KCouderc PMarrón PMinder DVoigt TVitaletti A(2010)System Architectures and Programming ModelsCooperating Embedded Systems and Wireless Sensor Networks10.1002/9780470610817.ch5(347-404)Online publication date: 2-Feb-2010
https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470610817.ch5
Levis PCuller D(2002)MatéACM SIGOPS Operating Systems Review10.1145/635508.60540736:5(85-95)Online publication date: 1-Oct-2002
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/635508.605407
Levis PCuller D(2002)MatéACM SIGARCH Computer Architecture News10.1145/635506.60540730:5(85-95)Online publication date: 1-Oct-2002
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/635506.605407
Levis PCuller D(2002)MatéACM SIGPLAN Notices10.1145/605432.60540737:10(85-95)Online publication date: 1-Oct-2002
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/605432.605407
Levis PCuller DGharachorloo KWood D(2002)MatéProceedings of the 10th international conference on Architectural support for programming languages and operating systems10.1145/605397.605407(85-95)Online publication date: 5-Oct-2002
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/605397.605407
Shriver BAnderson JWaguespack LHyams DBombet RGosden JJohnson O(1976)An implementation scheme for a virtual machine monitor to be realized on user - microprogrammable minicomputersProceedings of the 1976 annual conference10.1145/800191.805585(226-232)Online publication date: 20-Oct-1976
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/800191.805585

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